Patrick
House Bee
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Posts: 114
Location: Los Angeles California
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« on: March 18, 2008, 03:48:10 PM » |
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Hi,
I have a few questions after reading through many of the past post regarding mites and using powdered sugar to control them. To be clear my question does not concern using powdered sugar to detect mites. I have read several accounts of beekeepers pouring powdered sugar in between the frames in an effort to dialogue the mites. Most accounts seem to have applied several applications over a period of weeks. I am interested in hearing from anyone who has tried this method and in hearing your results and thoughts regarding effectiveness.
Cheers,
Patrick
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Bennettoid
House Bee
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Location: Ocean City, Maryland, USA
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« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2008, 04:01:51 PM » |
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3 applications, 10 days apart, during a dearth, which for here is about August 15th to September 15th in a "normal" year.
And yes, it seems to work for me.
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KONASDAD
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« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2008, 04:04:38 PM » |
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Parasites have a geometric progression. If you kill one, you prevent perhaps thousands of additional mites from emerging. So, when you use sugar shake you are killing only a handful of mites at one time, therefore you must repeat often. I repeat about every 12-15 days. It will definately reduce mite loads and prevent explosions of mites as your colony population begins to dwindle as fall approaches and prevents mites from exceeding dangerous levels. Yes it works, but only if done frequently and before mite loads become excessive. It also helps to use a screened bottom board, otherwise mites fall onto bottom board and can re-attach as bees enter hive from foraging.
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"The more complex the Mind, the Greater the need for the simplicity of Play".
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kathyp
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« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2008, 04:23:02 PM » |
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i think it helped last year. by late summer, i was finding quite a few mites when i counted. i treated with apiguard. the PS seemed to really help keep the mites down in the middle of the summer.
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"What has destroyed liberty and the rights of man in every
government which has ever existed under the sun? The generalizing
and concentrating all cares and powers into one body, no matter
whether of the autocrats of Russia or France, or of the
aristocrats of a Venetian Senate." --Thomas Jefferson to Joseph C.
Cabell, 1816.
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bberry
House Bee
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Posts: 95
Location: Sebastopol California
Playing with wool is good for your soul
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« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2008, 04:29:25 PM » |
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Learned a handy way to do p.s. shake the other day; use an old window screen and lay it over the open hive-pour your p.s on and brush over with your bee brush-works great!
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DayValleyDahlias
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« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2008, 06:44:31 PM » |
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Bberry,
That is good info...I am going to try that...
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annette
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« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2008, 09:46:24 PM » |
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Just curious, when you girls do the powdered sugar, do you just do the top super and let it fall on down to the bottom, or do you take the supers apart and do each super separately?? The reason I am asking is, last year I took all the supers apart and dusted them all separately, but boy or boy was that a lot of work for me.
This year I am just dusting the top super and letting it fall on down to the bottom. I hope it works just as good.
Patrick
To answer your question. I only do powdered sugar dusting as a way to control the mites. It worked really good for me last year as I said above that I did all the supers individually. A cup of powdered sugar for each super. (oh yeah, I also cut out drone brood once in a while)
This year I am only doing the top super and shall see how it goes. I am monitoring the mite count every other week and so far it us under control. Cannot get rid of them, just keep the count down.
Annette
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Brian D. Bray
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« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2008, 12:11:13 AM » |
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Learned a handy way to do p.s. shake the other day; use an old window screen and lay it over the open hive-pour your p.s on and brush over with your bee brush-works great!
I use the moving screen I made for use with top entrance hives, essentially and Imrie shim with screen stretched across it. Shake on the sugar, shake the moving screen a little bit and go to the next one. |
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Life is a school. What have you learned?  The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election! |
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bberry
House Bee
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Location: Sebastopol California
Playing with wool is good for your soul
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« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2008, 07:57:09 PM » |
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Brian-sounds even easier!
Annette-You don't need to open all the boxes-this methos gets the powdered sugar all the way down-you can see it within ten min. coming out the bottom-check your bb just in case.
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annette
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« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2008, 09:28:44 PM » |
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OK thanks
annette
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Cindi
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« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2008, 10:03:31 AM » |
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When you are performing the powdered sugar shakes, it is important that you do not leave a whole whack of sugar on the ground. Of course you are using screened bottom boards. Beneath these screened bottom boards please put some kind of newspaper or something to gather the excess sugar that falls through. This powdered sugar is not something that you want to leave on the ground, it can cause negative effects around the hives, like ants, bugs, ucky messy messes. Have a wonderful and beautiful day, sharing this great life we live. Cindi
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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service
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Patrick
House Bee
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Posts: 114
Location: Los Angeles California
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« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2008, 01:46:21 AM » |
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Cindi,
You make a good point about the mess and ants.
Cheers,
Patrick
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John Jones
New Bee
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Location: Stone Mountain, Georgia
Know how Bees feel
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« Reply #12 on: April 28, 2008, 09:01:27 AM » |
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Hey Gang,
If you visit YouTube there is a beekeeper that does the Powered Sugar thing his way. Check it out.
John Jones
Stone Mountain, Ga.
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John Jones
Stone Mountain, Georgia
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annette
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« Reply #13 on: April 28, 2008, 04:36:43 PM » |
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OK, where is the link??
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Cindi
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« Reply #14 on: April 29, 2008, 10:02:25 PM » |
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Annette, he can't make a link yet because he doesn't have enough posting to be able to. Cindi
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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service
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HAB
HEAVENLY BEEKEEPER
Field Bee
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Posts: 622
Location: S. Alabama, USA USDA Temp Zone 8A
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« Reply #15 on: April 29, 2008, 10:28:26 PM » |
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Its available at:
He powders each frame separately, don't know the language but its easy to follow.  If you cant make a link just copy and paste the url. |
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« Last Edit: April 29, 2008, 10:37:58 PM by buzzbee »
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annette
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« Reply #16 on: April 29, 2008, 10:54:39 PM » |
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I think if I had to do it like that, I would give up beekeeping. It was bad enough taking all the supers apart all last summer and doing each separately, but this is crazy. Look how it upsets the hive after he is done.
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HAB
HEAVENLY BEEKEEPER
Field Bee
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Posts: 622
Location: S. Alabama, USA USDA Temp Zone 8A
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« Reply #17 on: April 29, 2008, 10:59:55 PM » |
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I agree, we plan to use a screen and just powder the tops of each super. |
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annette
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« Reply #18 on: April 29, 2008, 11:01:00 PM » |
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Good Idea!!!
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DayValleyDahlias
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« Reply #19 on: May 01, 2008, 09:39:01 AM » |
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Wow, that guy is bold...no stings? Amazing!
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